EU ready to make 'major concession' on Brexit deal: The Times newspaper

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EU ready to make 'major concession' on Brexit deal: The Times newspaper

Flags flutter outside the Houses of Parliament, ahead of a Brexit vote, in London, Britain March 13, 2019. REUTERS/Tom Jacobs/Files

09 Oct 2019 05:03PM

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LONDON: The European Union is ready to make a "major concession" on a Brexit deal by offering a mechanism for the Northern Irish assembly to leave a new so-called backstop after a number of years, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday (Oct 9).

Talks with the EU to reach an agreement on Britain's departure have hit an impasse over the backstop, an insurance policy to prevent the return to a hard border between the British province of Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland if a future trade deal falls short of keeping the border open.

Johnson says he wants to remove what he calls the "undemocratic backstop" and has proposed replacing it by suggesting that Northern Ireland stay under EU regulations, customs checks should be made away from the border, and that Northern Ireland's assembly, Stormont, would have the right to vote on the arrangements.